One Good Deed
by Yellow-eyed-wonder
Summary: It was a normal day for Kurt until he makes an unusual find in the Bayville High dumpster. What is Kurt going to do to help his new found friend?
1. Blue Savior

It was a dark stormy night. Howls of pain and horror carried through the air as a vicious attack was being carried out. The poor aching soul tried to get away, but with every failed attempt came another bludgeoning with a lead pipe. As a last desperate attempt to save himself, he lunged towards his attacker in a fierce growl, trying to intimidate and ward off the attacker. They were too quick, however. The victim was given a final blow to the chest, thrown into the dumpster, and left to die. "Stupid Dog", was all that was said as the attacker walked away.

* * *

It was a beautiful morning at the Xavier institute. All of the mutants were getting ready for school in the usual chaotic manner. The mutants flooded into the kitchen for breakfast where they quickly engorged their stomachs with the array of food provided to them. Kurt, as usual, was the first one done. It always surprised everyone how much Kurt could eat and stay as fit as he always did, which was attributed to his higher than average metabolism. "Well, I guess I'll see you guys later. I'm gonna head out!", said Kurt, who figured since he was ready he would just go to school early. Before mutants were revealed to the world, Kurt would have to catch a ride, but now he enjoyed the luxury of being able to simply teleport his way to school. With that he clicked on his image inducer, and with a puff of sulfur and brimstone, vanished.

Once he arrived he decided to just stroll around the grounds a little. He liked to do this sometimes as there weren't many other students there and he could just stroll on through like the old days when they were all thought of as normal. As he made his way over towards where the dumpsters were kept, he heard a quiet rustling. Naturally curious but also cautious, he crept closer to see what the noise was. "Is anybody there?", he asked cautiously, "Hello?". He continued to look around, and while he didn't see anything, he continued to here the rustling. He then saw a movement that caught his attention, and what he saw pulled on his heart strings. It was a dog. But not just any normal dog, it was severely beaten and abused, and had the saddest look in his eyes. He was poking his head out from the dumpster. Kurt cautiously approached the dog, which turned out to be an abandoned pit bull. Kurt soothingly said, "Hey there, I'm not going to hurt you." He slowly reached his hand up to the dog to allow them to sniff him. The dog flinched a little at first, but then calmly sniffed Kurt's hand. A few thuds could be heard as the dog's tail hit the sides of the dumpster in a weakened wag. "There, there...", Kurt gently stroked their head and the dog gently licked his hand in return.

Kurt had no idea what to do. Thoughts kept flooding through his wondering mind. Who could do such a thing? Was he in a position to help? He didn't know what he had to do, but he knew he had to do something. He also knew class was going to be starting soon, so he had to figure out something fast. Kurt thought to himself, "Oh... what am I going to do? Think Wagner, think... Do you think he'll still be here after school? It's not like I can take him anywhere until then... I don't know..." Kurt finally decided to make the tough decision to leave the dog there until after school. As much as he hated to do it, he knew that he would not be excused from an absence, especially since Principle Kelly didn't cut them any slack. He had an important geometry test that day and knew there would be no way to make it up. Kurt softly told his new, frightened friend, "Hey buddy, I'll have to come back later. I'm so sorry. Stay here, ok boy?". Kurt gave the dog one last pet and then hesitantly went off to class.

* * *

By lunch time Kurt had already taken his geometry test and was thinking about cutting early. He was convinced that any trouble he would get into was far less important than getting that dog to safety. Kurt tried to find some of his fellow mutants during lunch to help him with the rescue. While Kurt could simply teleport the dog out of the dumpster, he didn't want to frighten the dog and he knew that he wasn't strong enough to lift him out of there. He met up with Evan who immediately agreed to cut lunch to help him, not that Evan was ever too worried about cutting school anyway.

Once they got to the dumpster, Kurt quickly went to see if his friend was still there. His heart was sinking until he saw his head pop back out of his intended grave. He appeared very happy to see Kurt, but was a little weary of Evan. Kurt explained to Evan, "Go slowly with him, he's scared. It looks like someone beat him and threw him away to die."

Evan replied, "Man, that's horrible... poor thing." Evan, like Kurt, slowly lifted his hand up to the scared dog. He too was greeting by a friendly sniff, followed by a gentle lick to the hand.

Kurt exclaimed, "There, you two are friends now. We've got to get him out of here!" Kurt paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to get his friend out. "Evan, do you think you could, um, climb in there and pass him down to me?"

Evan got a worried expression across his face, "What? You kidding me? I don't know this dog! What if he bites me?"

"Evan, I really don't think he would. He wants to be safe. I'm not strong enough to pull him out, you're the only one that can help right now." Evan nervously agreed and climbed into the dumpster, where to his relief he was kindly received.

Evan tried to comfort the pooch, "Hey there, you're alright man. Just come with me and we'll get you out of here." He gently scooped the weak pit bull into his arms and passed him down to Kurt. Once the dog was out of the dumpster, his whole disposition seemed to change. He seemed more at peace, a lot happier and less nervous. Kurt found a rope nearby which he used to make a makeshift leash.

"Thank you so much for your help Evan."

"Hey, no problem man. I'll catch you two later." Evan then made his way back to the school.

"You're going to be ok now." Kurt smiled and gently stroked the dog's dirty, bloody fur. "Hmm, you need a name.", Kurt paused for a moment, trying to think of the perfect name, "How about Stark? It means "tough", because you sure must be to have survived whatever they did to you." Stark wagged his tail and licked Kurt's chin. Kurt wondered, how could this dog have been through so much, but then be able to show so much love? But then, Kurt realized how much Stark was actually a lot like him. Kurt smiled, "I think we're going to be very good friends." The two then got up and started their walk to the institute.

* * *

AN: Hello everyone! Hope you like what I have here so far. I only intended this to be a one shot, but then it started getting longer and longer, that it's going to be more like 2-3 chapters. Sorry if you are not a pit bull fan, but I hope that won't keep you from enjoying the story. Two of my passions are evo and pit bulls, so I figured why not merge the two? :D Hope you like! R&R please! :)


	2. Getting Adjusted

Kurt and Stark were taking it slow walking back to the institute as Stark was still pretty weak, but like the trooper he was, kept pushing on. Kurt hated to make him walk but he wasn't really sure of another way to get him back there, and luckily, the institute wasn't very far. They would stop and take a break periodically and Kurt would try to comfort him and tell him it wasn't much further.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity they managed to get back to the institute. Kurt was wondering how the professor would react if he just barged in with a dog, so he tied the rope to a pole right near the front door of the institute. "I'll be right back, ok boy?". Although the mansion was huge the professor could usually be tracked down fairly easily as he was usually in one of three places: The library, Cerebro, or the danger room. Kurt first teleported to the library where the professor luckily was.

The professor, having the incredible ability to sense presences without even thinking about it, knew Kurt was already there. What he didn't know was why he was there, "Kurt, why aren't you at school?".

Kurt replied, "Sorry professor... something came up. You see, I went to school early this morning and found an abused dog in a dumpster. I left him there for the morning because I had to take my test, but I just had to rescue him. He's outside... I just don't know what to do?". Kurt's begging eyes softened the professor.

The professor responded, "Kurt, we just can't bring stray animals into the institute...", he paused,"...but, your heart was in the right place. You can keep him here for now as long as you can ensure that he isn't going to destroy anything. If he becomes destructive, I'm afraid he'll have to go."

Kurt thought the professor was being unfair. He was thankful that the professor was allowing him to keep Stark there, but he was confused by the conditions. His fellow mutants destroyed things all the time. Why was that excused? How was a dog so much different? But he knew the conditions, and he was going to work with his new dog, "Thank you, Professor".

"You're welcome, Kurt. Now, you said he was abused. How severe is his condition? You may want to let me take a look at him to make sure he is not severely injured."

"Ja, it looks like he was beaten pretty badly. He did walk here ok, but we should probably check him out just to be sure. I'll go get him!" Kurt then teleported out to get his friend.

* * *

Later that day the other young mutants were returning from school. Stark had now been checked out and cleared by the professor. While he did get a beating, luckily, aside from bruising, cuts, and sores, there were no real injuries. Kurt was keeping Stark up in his room to relax and recoup after his ordeal. Evan had told the other mutants about what had happened and they were all very curious about the outcome. Evan, having a special interest as he assisted with the rescue, went up to Kurt's room and lightly knocked on the door. "Hey man, mind if I come in?"

Kurt answered, "No Evan, come on in." Evan slowly entered the room, careful that he didn't startle the resting dog.

"So, is he going to chill here for a while?", Evan inquired.

"Ja, for now. He's going through a period of probation. He just needs to behave." Kurt gently stroked Stark's head.

"That's awesome, man. Well, I'll talk to you later, just wanted to check and see how it all work out."

After Evan left the room, Kurt looked at his tattered friend and softly said, "Don't worry, I will not fail you mein Freund".

* * *

It was a few hours later that Rogue and Kitty had finished their homework and had decided to go up to Kurt's room to see the new dog. After some rest Stark was already feeling a little better and was in a good mood to welcome visitors. The two girls knocked on Kurt's door and were welcomed in. Kurt was holding onto Stark as he wasn't sure yet how he would respond to new people, but immediately he started wiggling, wagging his tail, and was just very excited to meet new people. This reaction was galaxies away from the condition he was in earlier that day. Rogue was ecstatic and let out in her southern accent, "Oh wow, I had a pit as a kid. I love 'em! Irene let me have one, but he sadly died only a year or so after we got him." Rogue stooped down a bit to pet him, being very mindful not to get her face too close to avoid harming him with her potent exposed skin. "What's his name?", Rogue asked.

Kurt was very surprised, he had never really seen Rogue take such interest in anything. It made him feel good to see her enjoying him so much. "His name is Stark. It's German for "tough". He survived quite a beating, so I think that's a pretty good name for him." Kurt then glanced up from a gleeful Rogue to see Kitty nervously standing off to the side. "What's the matter Kitty? Afraid of dogs?"

Kitty nervously responded, "Well, not usually. But he's like, a pit bull, you know?"

Kurt replied, quite baffled, "So?"

"Well, I've like, heard that they're dangerous." The statement Kitty had just made left Kurt and Rogue laughing. "What's so funny?", Kitty was not seeing the humor in the situation.

Kurt answered, "You mean to tell me that you live amongst over a dozen mutants who can shoot laser beams, control minds, shoot lava, ice blasts, and more, and you're afraid of a 40 pound pit bull?" Kurt and Rogue were almost in tears at this point. That is, until they saw that Kitty looked pretty embarrassed and hurt that her friends were laughing at her. "Kitty, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Kurt absolutely hated himself at that moment for making Kitty feel uncomfortable. He didn't like to do that to anyone, but especially not his dear friend Kitty.

Kitty replied, "No, it's alright. You're right, it doesn't really make any sense."

Kurt tried to explain again, this time, a little nicer, "It's just, you know how people don't like us? They try to say we're all a menace and shouldn't be allowed in public? Well, how is this any different? He's a pit bull, so what? There are good dogs and bad dogs, just like there are good mutants and bad mutants. Won't you give him a chance? Even though it's not going to happen, even if he did try to bite, you could just phase through him. What's there to be afraid of?"

Kitty smiled, eased up a bit, and slowly made her way over to Stark. He stood there wagging his tail, but somehow knew that Kitty was a little uneasy and didn't give her quite as rambunctious of a greeting as he did Rogue. When the two met, he calmly sat down wagging his happy tail and Kitty bravely gave him a pet on the head. After that initial contact, the tension completely eased from her body and she was much more comfortable with him. He even rolled over at her feet and she didn't hesitate to give him a belly rub. Kitty was quite surprised at the situation, "Wow, he really is a nice dog. He's like, totally cute too!"

Kurt smiled, "See, what did I tell you? Isn't it amazing, after all that he's been through, that he trusts us so much?"

Kitty responded, "Yeah, it really is. People can be so cruel sometimes."

Rogue chimed in, "Well, at least he's safe now. That's really all that matters at this point, no use dwelling on it, because he surely isn't." Stark now worked his way back over to Rogue where she gave him a few more pets. "Well Kurt, it's about dinner time. He gonna stay in here for now?"

"Yeah, I guess... I just hope he doesn't destroy anything. I haven't left him yet, so I'm not completely sure how he's going to act when he's alone. The professor was pretty clear that he doesn't want him messing up the place."

Rogue replied, "Eh, I'm sure he'll be fine. You'll never know unless you leave him for a little while."

"Yeah, that's true. Alright, let's go then. You be ein guter Hund, ok boy?" The three mutants went on their way down to dinner. Stark cocked his head and wondered where his friends were heading off too. He started to feel very anxious as the only ones who had ever made him feel safe had just left him in a room all alone.

* * *

AN: Hope you guys are enjoying this, please leave some feed back if you can! :)


	3. I'll Never Give Up On You

After the mutants were done dinner, Kurt, Rogue, and Kitty immediately went upstairs to see how Stark had done during his time alone. When they opened the door, they couldn't believe what laid in front of them. There were things everywhere. Things tossed around, things chewed... It was a disaster. Then there, in the corner, Stark was found in a quivering ball. He was terrified. Kurt felt sick to his stomach. He wasn't upset with Stark, but he was very worried for him, as he knew very well what the professor had told him. He slowly made his way over to him, crouched down to his level, and gently called him over. "Shhh, it's ok. Come here, boy." Stark slowly started to crawl to Kurt, his tail still between his legs. He seemed to realize that he did the wrong thing.

Rogue then looked around the wreck of a room, and asked, "Whoa, Kurt... I'm so sorry. What's going to happen now?"

Kurt nervously replied as he held his little friend close, "I... don't know, Rogue." His heart was breaking for Stark, he was so alone and afraid. The ones that he decided to put his trust into left him in a room all alone, and he didn't understand why. What was the professor going to say? Kurt was so worried that he'd have to re-home him, but he was determined not to give up without a fight. He looked into Stark's scared eyes, and softly said to him, "Don't worry, boy. I'm not going to give up on you." With that, Stark's mood seemed to change and he started to wag his tail and lick Kurt's chin. "Ah, that's the boy I know!"

Rogue then joined Kurt at Stark's side, also petting and giving the dog some words of encouragement. "So, when are you going to talk to the professor about all this?"

Kurt nervously chuckled, "He probably already knows..." He gave Stark a pat on the head, and then turned to Rogue and asked, "Hey.. you think you can wait here with him for a little bit? I really do have to talk to the professor..."

Rogue smiled, "Sure thing." She then went over to what was left of Kurt's mangled bed and called Stark over with her. Without hesitation, Stark jumped up on the bed and took his place right by Rogue's side. After giving him a pet on the head, she turned to Kurt and said, "Good luck."

"Thanks, I think I'll need it."

* * *

Only a few minutes later Kurt had finally located the professor working on repairs with Hank in the danger room. He felt bad to interrupt, but he felt like he had to quickly get it over with and find out the outcome from Stark's damage. He approached the professor, praying that he was in an understanding mood, and asked, "Umm... Professor? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

The professor turned to Kurt, clearly occupied, "What is it, Kurt? Is something wrong?"

Kurt stepped back slightly, nervously fiddling with his hands behind his back. "I guess you could say that... It's about Stark. He... uh..."

"Yes, Kurt?"

"Well, we left him alone in my room when we went down to dinner. I guess he got scared and lonely... and he kind of... well... destroyed my room." Kurt quickly tightened his eyes in a wince and looked away, terrified of the response he was about to receive.

The professor rubbed his forehead, a little frustrated. "Kurt, I think you realize I expected something like this would happen." The professor paused, quickly lightening his posture and tone. "But, I thought about what I had said earlier, and I can see how I could have been being unfair. Just like my students need guidance to do what's right with their powers, I feel like this dog needs you in the same way. However, if I do give you another chance, you must start working with him _immediately_. If, in two weeks, you have remolded this dog into a fine, well behaved canine, he may stay here at the institute permanently."

Kurt nearly jumped with joy, incredibly happy with the professor's decision. "Thank you, Professor! I will not disappoint you!" He then quickly teleported back to the outside of his room, eager to tell Rogue the fantastic news. He entered the room, immediately smiling at the sight he saw. Rogue was still sitting on Kurt's bed, with Stark happily sleeping across her lap as she was gently stroking him. "Ah, got a friend there, I see?"

Rogue chuckled, "Yeah. So, what did the professor say?"

Kurt smiled, eager to tell his friend the good news. "He said I can keep him! Well... with conditions, that is. I need to train him up in two weeks, and if he meets the professor's standards, he can stay here at the institute."

"That's great, Kurt. If you need any help, just let me know. I don't have the most experience in the world, but I did have my dog as a kid and may be able to lend a hand."

"Thanks Rogue." After a few minutes Rogue left the room, and Kurt was trying to figure out where to start with his little friend. Then, he had an idea. He said as he turned to Stark, "Hmmm, if we're going to reshape you into the perfect dog, then we need to start with getting you cleaned up!" He then put the rope back on Stark that he brought him home with, as he couldn't yet trust him not to go running about the institute, and took him with him to Kitty's room. Kurt knocked on her door. "Kitty? You there, Kitty?"

Kitty replied, "Yeah Kurt, come in."

He then opened the door, and entered the room with Stark. Stark started to wag his tail as soon as he saw his new and previously timid friend. Kurt asked, "I was wondering, would you like to help me give Stark a bath? He could really use one."

Kitty awkwardly replied, "Ummm, sure, I guess. I've like, never given a dog a bath before though."

Kurt laughed. "Neither have I! But... it's really important. You see, I have to shape him into a role-model of a dog if the professor is going to allow me to keep him... I figured getting him all cleaned up was a good start."

Kitty smiled, eager to help. "Sure, Kurt! I'll totally help you out!"

* * *

A few moments later the two of them were in the bathroom trying to get Stark into the tub. He didn't quite grasp what they wanted him to do. He simply sat there, cocking his head in confusion as if he was desperately trying to understand their confusing language. Kurt finally got into the tub and then called Stark to follow him in there, which quickly did the trick. "Ah, there we go! Now, stay in here, ok?" Kurt then hopped out of the tub and then removed the removable shower nozzle to start wetting him down.

Kitty asked, "So, don't we like, need dog shampoo or something?"

Kurt chuckled, sort of embarrassed. "I'm going to use on him what I use on my fur. It should be perfectly safe." After he turned on the water, Stark got incredibly curious. He walked up to the steady stream of water coming from the nozzle and then attempted to sniff it. This, of course, resulted in a nose full of water, and he kept sneezing to try and get the water from his sensitive nose. Kurt and Kitty couldn't help but to giggle. Stark just wagged his tail, pleased that he apparently amused his friends. They finally got to lathering him up and were soon done bathing him, which he was surprisingly cooperative with through the whole thing. Of course, after they were finished, he decided to drench both Kitty and Kurt with a nice after bath shake down. After drying him off, both of them were very pleased with the end result. What was once a filthy, rust brown dog turned out to be a brilliant white dog with a few brown patches.

Kitty questioned, "So, like, what's next?"

Kurt responded, "Well, it's starting to get late now, but tomorrow morning I am going to take him to the vets to be checked out and get vaccinated. I know the professor and Mr. McCoy looked him over and all for injuries, but I'd really feel better if he saw a vet. Who knows what he was exposed to in that dumpster..."

Kitty shuddered, still wondering how anyone could do such a thing. "Yeah, that would probably be best. I wish I could go with you, but unfortunately I like, have a lot of work to do."

Kurt smiled. "It's alright, Kitty. I'm sure everything's going to be just fine, anyway. It might be a chance to work on some training, as well."

The two then played with Stark for a little while. It was then getting late, and Kurt and Kitty decided to head to bed for the night. Once Kurt and Stark got to the room, he got changed and was just about to turn off his image inducer, which he was surprised was still on. Right before he was about to click the button, he stopped as he realized that Stark hadn't seen him in his true form. He wondered how he would react, as he was afraid he may be frightened. He then tried to explain to Stark, as if he could understand him, and then turned off his inducer. Stark's initial reaction was the same one he had in the bathroom. He was confused, perhaps a little hesitant, but he wasn't frightened. Kurt crouched down to his friend and said to him, "It's me, boy. Don't worry!" Kurt offered his unique three fingered hand to him. Stark walked up to Kurt, and sniffed his outreached hand. Kurt's image inducer was merely a hologram, so his scent was completely the same. Stark immediately started bouncing out of joy, appearing quite amused at his blue friend's little trick. "Ah, if only people were as quickly accepting of me as you are!" Kurt then playfully wrestled with Stark a little, the two clearly showing their adoration of the other. They had only known each other for a day, but somehow, it seemed much longer. They were already starting to bond. After a while of playing, Kurt finally decided to head to bed.

Kurt's room was still a mess and wasn't going to be fixed up until the following day, so Kurt just left Stark free ranging in his room as he tried to get to sleep in what was left of his bed. Right as Kurt was starting to doze off, he heard a slight whimpering and felt Stark's paws on his back as he was trying to pull himself up on the bed. Kurt turned to Stark and laughed, "What? Am I in your way?" He then moved over slightly to give his friend room to join him. Stark immediately jumped onto the bed and licked Kurt's face. He then curled up at Kurt's side, seeming completely content. "Alright... you can sleep here, but just for tonight, ok, boy? Tomorrow, I'm afraid I am going to have to get you a crate. Just until you can be trusted not to wreck the place! Don't worry, you're going to turn into a very well trained dog! I promise you that." Kurt smiled as he looked down at his furry friend, truly thankful that he went to school early that day. He didn't want to even think about what could have happened to him. He then whispered to Stark, who was already falling asleep, "Gute Nacht mein kleiner Freund. We've got a big day tomorrow." The two then fell asleep, both completely comfortable and at ease with the other.

* * *

A/N: Sorry it's been a while! I've been working on this chapter on and off for a few weeks now, but I've been so busy with college it's taken me forever. Hope everyone is enjoying it so far! Please review and let me know what you think! I'm going to try to get another chapter up this weekend. This was originally going to be a very short story, but it keeps getting longer and longer, lol. I'm not quite sure how long it's going to be now. Thank you everyone for the reviews so far!

Knightcrawler: What an honor to have you review my story! :) I have been a loyal follower of your story and love your work! I agree that the persecution of pit bulls is incredibly similar to that of mutants. The sad thing is, one is fictional, the other is not. :( I figured that this story may convey this point very well, as x-men fans clearly see the vilification of mutants as wrong. And really, isn't any prejudice? It's the individual that matters. And thank you for the compliment! :) I like to think I have good tastes, too! My family likes to make fun of me at times, lol, but I don't care. :P Hope you enjoy the rest of the story! :) Thank you for your review!


	4. Progress

It was the following morning and Kurt and Stark were still sound asleep, cuddled upon the crippled bed. It was much to their dismay when the alarm sounded off like a siren throughout the room, signaling it was time for them to get up. Stark tiredly rubbed his ears against the mattress, the piercing noise clearly bothering him. Kurt threw his arm over to the alarm clock and quickly silenced the displeasing sound. He then turned to Stark and asked, while gently rubbing his head, "There, is that better, boy?" Stark immediately wagged his tail and licked Kurt's chin, very eager to give his friend a good morning greeting.

Neither of the two were quite ready to get up, so they continued to lay in bed, looking softly into each others eyes. "So, today's a big day for you... the day that starts the path of you being the best behaved dog in the world! You up to the task, mein Freund?" Kurt laughed as he looked at Stark cocking his head as he was trying to understand what he was saying. He wasn't quite sure why he kept talking to Stark as if he could actually understand, or expected a response, but it just sort of happened. He really enjoyed talking to him, and the more he did, the more bonded he seemed to feel. Perhaps it was because Kurt saw Stark as more of a friend than 'just a dog', that talking to him just seemed natural.

After a few more minutes of laziness, the two finally got out of bed and started to stumble through the wreckage of the room. It wasn't going to be until later that day, after Stark had a crate to be properly contained when unsupervised, that his room was going to be cleaned up and repaired. Kurt, still a little drowsy, collected a change of clothes for his morning shower. He then turned to Stark and said, "Ok, boy. I'm going to go get ready. You stay in here, ok? I'll be back in a little while!" Kurt felt bad about leaving him in the room, but was hoping he'd feel a little more comfortable now that there was more trust between them. That, and the fact that he didn't really have to worry about his room being destroyed, as there wasn't really any more damage that _could_ be done.

After showering, Kurt first went back to his room to check up on his furry friend, who he was very pleasantly surprised wasn't curled up in a corner, but rather greeted him with a happy, wagging tail. He then, once again, assured Stark he'd be back shortly, and then headed down to the institute's dining room for breakfast.

Once seated at the breakfast table, their usual morning conversation commenced. After some of their usual talk, Evan turned to ask Kurt, "Hey, man, how's the dog doing today? Haven't really seen much of you!"

Kurt laughed, "Ja... he has been taking up quite a bit of my time, but it's really paying off! He doesn't really seem to be frightened anymore. And.. I'm afraid there's going to be 2 more weeks of me being a hermit. I have got to get him trained and well behaved in 2 weeks if the professor is going to allow him to stay. I've got a lot of work ahead of me."

Kitty smiled from across the table. "Aww, I think that's so sweet! You two are so cute together, and he like, totally adores you! I know you two will get through this. And you know I'm here to help if you need me."

Rogue then added from the other end of the table, "Yeah, me too, Kurt. If you need anything, just let us know."

Kurt responded, "Aww, thanks guys!"

Logan, who had just recently joined the table, quickly chimed in. "I dunno Elf... I say you let me train him. I'll get that dog of yours behaving in one week instead of two."

There was a moment of awkwardness and tension throughout the dining room, as that was the last thing poor Stark needed was Wolverine as a trainer. Kurt responded, "Eh... thanks Logan, but Stark's still a little scared, and uh... your training methods are... uh..."

Logan chuckled, "I get it. You think I'll be too hard on the pup?"

Evan responded, "Sorry Logan, you DO have a reputation around here!" The others laughed at his comment.

Logan replied, "Well, that may be true, but I wouldn't be quite as hard on him as I am on you kids. He'd be in good hands. It's up to you."

Kurt politely responded to Logan's offer. "Well, thanks Logan, but I am actually looking forward to training Stark. We've gotten really close, and it makes sense for us to do this together."

Logan grinned. "Alright, Elf. But if you really want him to stay here, you have got to take this seriously. I am only helping with fixing your room ONCE."

Kurt laughed. "Don't worry! He's going to be the best behaved dog Bayville's ever seen!" Kurt then turned to Scott, who was having his own conversation with Jean. "Hey, Scott?"

"Yeah, Kurt?"

"I was wondering, any chance I could borrow your car? I need to take Stark to the vets today, and don't really have a way to get there..."

Scott thought about it, and then replied. "Um.. Sure, Kurt. I guess so. I don't really have anywhere to go today. But, there have to be conditions..."

"_Was_?", Kurt asked.

"I can't say I'm too crazy about a dog being in my car... but I know it's important to you and all. Just make sure you clean it out when you come back. And I better now have any chew marks on my seats!" Scott said only half jokingly.

"Don't worry! Everything will be done!" Scott then gave him a nod of agreement and reluctantly threw him the keys. Kurt then hurriedly finished his breakfast, knowing that he had to prepare Stark for their trip to the vets.

After breakfast, Kurt hurried up to his room, where Stark was happily waiting for his return. Once Kurt entered, Stark became very excited, jumping up and bouncing off of Kurt, nearly knocking him over. "Whoa, hey boy! I'm glad to see you too!" Stark then stopped his jumping and then started to sniff the air intently. Kurt laughed. "Ah, is this what you're smelling?" He then pulled out some breakfast food that he had smuggled for Stark. "Figured you'd be hungry!" Stark then started to wag his tail and tried jumping up to grab the food. Kurt immediately tried to stop Stark, taking this as a possible training opportunity. "Stark, no! Stop!" Stark immediately stopped, wondering why his friend had yelled at him. He almost looked hurt, in a way. "I'm sorry boy, but you can't do that anymore." Since Stark was now sitting, Kurt quickly gave him the food. "See, there you go! You've just got to wait calmly. I hope you understand, I never want to yell at you. But we've got to get you better behaved!" Kurt gently stroked Stark's back as he gorged on his breakfast. Stark then wagged his tail, signaling to Kurt that he wasn't upset. "Ah, I knew you'd understand!"

After Stark had eaten, Kurt retrieved his phone, which was one of the few things in his room that wasn't destroyed, and called the nearest vet office. To his surprise, they had a recent cancellation, which left the appointment 2 hours from then open. After making the appointment, Kurt figured since they had about an hour and a half to kill, he'd work a little more with training. He quickly went down to retrieve a few extra food items to use for training, and then made his way back up to Stark. "Ok, boy, you ready?" Stark started to excitedly wiggle around, while also sniffing the air to find out what Kurt had brought him up this time. Kurt laughed, "You'll get this, but this time, you've gotta work for it." Kurt had decided to teach him to sit, which he wasn't exactly sure how to do, as he had never trained a dog before in his life. He just waited for Stark to naturally sit down, and he then immediately gave him a treat and praised him. "_Wunderbar! Gute Arbeit_!" He loved the fact that he could speak either English or German to Stark, as he couldn't really tell the difference anyway. He would get the same happy, wagging dog no matter which he used. "Alright, lets do this again!" He waited for Stark to sit again, which this time, he seemed to do a little quicker. Maybe he was starting to get it? "Ah, good boy, Stark!" Stark was incredibly happy that he seemed to be pleasing Kurt, the food being just an added bonus.

After a few more repetitions, Stark seemed to be getting it, which is when Kurt started to add in the command. "Ok, boy, 'sit'." Immediately, Stark sat down in front of Kurt. Kurt exploded in shear joy. "You did it, boy! You're finally understanding!" Kurt praised him excessively and took a short play break. He was so happy, as even though it seemed like a little accomplishment, it was a huge step towards Stark's rehabilitation. They then stopped their play, and Kurt tried a few more repetitions, hoping it would stick. Sure enough, after every command, Stark quickly offered the behavior. The two, very pleased with themselves, then went over to relax on his dilapidated bed until it was time to leave.

As the time was getting near for them to leave, Kurt retrieved his rope to slip over Stark's rather large head, and grabbed a few other things to take with him. "So, you ready?" Stark wagged his tail and ran towards the door, knowing they were going somewhere. Kurt laughed, "I'd say, let's go, boy!" Once they were heading out, Stark had a few of his fans at the institute come by and which him luck at the vets. Each one was greeted by an incredibly happy dog. They couldn't believe how much improvement from Stark there was in just a day. The last one to wish him luck was Kitty, who Stark had become extremely fond of. Kitty was pretty fond of him, herself. Kurt smiled, "And to think you started off being scared of him."

Kitty laughed, "Yeah... I know. I like, didn't know what I was thinking. But, looks like there are no hard feelings!" She giggled as Stark licked her under the chin.

"Well, we've got to get going. Our appointment is in 20 minutes."

"Oh... well, I'll see you boy! You'll do great!" Stark then gave her one last kiss on the chin.

Kurt laughed. "Alright, come on Stark. Bye, Kitty! We'll see you later!" The two then made their way to Scott's car, which Kurt was admittedly kind of dreading. He was counting on Stark to behave and not ruin anything. Plus, with his car being a convertible, he was going to have to take extra precautions to be sure Stark stayed in the car. Kurt opened the passenger side door, and then gestured to Stark to jump up on the seat. Stark seemed a little hesitant, as a car was probably where he was last before being beaten by his previous owner, but he eventually trusted Kurt and jumped in. "See, it's ok, boy!" Then, to make sure Stark couldn't jump out, he tied the rope tightly around the headrest, restricting Stark's movement, which he really didn't seem to mind. "Ah, there we go!" Kurt then went around to the other side and hopped into the drivers seat. "One more thing...", he said, before turning on his image inducer, not believing he almost forgot. He then started up the engine, and the two started off to the vets.

On the way, Kurt couldn't help but chuckle at his furry friend's delight of sticking his head over the side. His tongue hung out as he 'smiled' in joy at the breeze hitting against his face. "Having fun? Better hope you don't catch any bugs on that tongue! I'll have to rename you Frosch!" Stark just glanced over at Kurt and wagged his tail, and then quickly resumed his fun. "I'll never understand why you dogs like that so much!" He laughed as he occasionally glanced over and saw Stark taking in the breeze.

They had finally arrived at the vet, and were surprised by how crowded it was. The parking lot was nearly full. "Well... here we go." Kurt untied his makeshift leash from the headrest and the two headed on inside. Once indoors, Kurt was startled by all of the stares he was getting. Was everyone there aware he was one of the mutants? He figured it was possible. But then, he made the connection that they were staring at them because of Stark. With him being a pit bull, his kind had a less than popular opinion within the general public. And him being possibly recognizable as a mutant didn't help matters either. He tried his best to ignore them and made his way over to the desk, where to his relief, he was kindly received.

The lady receptionist greeted them. "Hello there, welcome to Bayville Veterinary Center. Do you have an appointment?"

"Ah, yes! It is the twelve o'clock. It's for Stark."

"Ok, I see your appointment here. Now, I'm just going to need to get some information for our records. What breed is Stark?"

Kurt shrugged. "I don't really know, I found him. But people have been calling him a pit bull, so I guess we'll go with that."

"Ok... so American Pit Bull Terrier... mix, shall we say? And I am assuming since you found him, you don't have an age or medical history. When did you find him?"

Kurt responded, "I found him yesterday in a dumpster at the high school. Someone beat him and dumped him in there."

The receptionist's expression saddened. "That's just awful."

"Ja... but he's coming around. I just want to get him checked out to make sure he's healthy and to get him any necessary vaccinations."

"Ok, the doctor will see you shortly. Please, take a seat."

Kurt turned around, noticing just how many people were still staring. Thankfully, being a mutant, he was used to stares, but he still didn't find them any less rude. He then took a seat next to a woman that had a little Yorkie. She seemed like the only person in the entire room that wasn't staring at them. He then told Stark to sit, which he did immediately. "Good boy, Stark!", he praised.

The woman glanced over at them several times, which didn't go unnoticed by Kurt. He then looked back at her, about to ask her if they were bothering her, when she said, "I'm sorry for looking, but you have a very lovely dog there."

Kurt was rather surprised, "Oh! Well, thank you ma'am." He was so happy that Stark was behaving himself so well. He then looked down to her little dog, who was looking up his way. "And who is this?"

The woman smiled. "This is Arty. He's nine years old. I've had him ever since he was a puppy."

"Do you mind if I pet him?"

The woman replied, "If he'll let you... he doesn't like many people."

Kurt then put his hand down to allow Arty to sniff it, and the little dog immediately became happy and excited. Kurt then got down on the floor with him, and Arty jumped right into his lap. Stark also became curious, and sat next to Kurt and gently sniffed the excited toy of a dog. The woman was amazed. "Wow, he doesn't do that with anyone! He really likes you. You must really have a way with dogs!"

Kurt laughed, "Well, I actually haven't really met many dogs in my life. But the few that I have do seem to really like me." Kurt smiled, priding himself of the fact that dogs did seem to sense his kind soul.

"Well, I'm simply amazed. And who is your wonderful dog?"

"Oh, this is Stark! I actually just found him yesterday. Someone abused him and abandoned him."

The woman frowned. "That's awful. The way he looks at you, you'd think you would have owned him is whole life."

Kurt smiled. "Well, we have become really close in a short bit of time. He's really a great dog." He then got up off the floor and returned to the bench. He then noticed the woman looking at him observantly.

Her voice then got lower, close to a whisper. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask... aren't you one of the mutants?"

Kurt immediately got a little nervous. "Well... yes. I am. Does that bother you?"

The woman laughed. "Well... usually... but anyone adored by my dog is fine in my book! You seem like a really sweet guy. What's your name?"

Kurt smiled. She was one of the first humans to have not judged him immediately on being a mutant. "My name's Kurt. And what is yours?"

"My name is Emily Baker. Nice to meet you." She then offered her hand out to Kurt's for a handshake. Kurt was forced to politely decline.

"Nice to meet you too. Unfortunately... I can't really shake your hand. I'm sorry."

Emily was a little confused. "Oh? How come?"

Kurt felt incredibly uneasy. Could he trust her? He sensed that she was a really kind person, and she was treating him very nicely, despite the fact that he was a mutant. He decided to quietly explain to her. "Well... some of my mutations.. they're physical, and I don't know how you'd feel about it."

Emily was still very confused. "Physical? You look normal enough to me."

Kurt explained further. "Well, you see this watch? It keeps my physical mutations hidden to the eye. But... you would still be able to feel them. I'm actually furry, and I don't really have as many fingers as you do..."

She seemed a little startled at Kurt's description, but she still wasn't going to shy away. "Wow, that's amazing... you'd never know."

Kurt just chuckled. "Ja... it's... interesting. But that's why I can't shake your hand."

"No, it's ok. I want to."

Kurt responded, "Really? Are you sure?"

Emily smiled. "Yes. Never hurts to try something new. Today, shaking hands with a mutant." She then put her hand out once again, and this time, Kurt met her with his own. Her expression wasn't one of fear, it was one of intrigue. Kurt felt a little uneasy, but there was also a sense of relief when she didn't pull away. "You were right... that's so strange how it keeps you completely hidden..."

"So.. you're not afraid?"

She laughed. "No, I'm actually learning something... to be honest, mutants have always intrigued me. But, I have to admit, I have bought into the fear a little bit. But you have proved to me that there are kind mutants out there." She then took a moment, and then something came to her. "Wait a minute... aren't you?"

Kurt panicked a little, realizing what she was about to say. "Yes... but... no one knows. Please, I beg you not to tell anyone."

"Don't worry, I won't speak a word. It's just amazing to me you've kept yourself concealed all of this time. So.. that means you also have a tail, if I remember correctly?"

Kurt laughed, still a little uneasily, "Yeah... I know, it's sort of strange..."

"And your watch covers that up, as well?"

"Yes, I'm very fortunate. As you can see, it wouldn't be easy for me to fit into society. Being a mutant is already hard enough without actually looking... well, like me."

Her heart actually started to hurt for Kurt. "Well, I have to say you are an amazing young man despite your hardships."

Kurt smiled. "Well, I do have a lot of support from friends, that are mutants like myself."

"Are they all as kind as you?"

Kurt laughed. "Of course. We're the good guys! I just wish people could see that... It's kind of like Stark here. People fear him because he's a pit bull. But, he's a great dog! So... we've really got a lot in common. We're just trying to be accepted in a society that fears us."

Emily smiled at Kurt. She was so amazed at how sweet natured this mutant was, after hearing all of the horror stories. "Wow, this is all so interesting. Can I ask you a question?"

Kurt enthusiastically replied, his nervousness now ceased. "Sure!"

"How could I find out more? I am just so intrigued by all of this.. I would love to learn more about mutant kind. How could I do that?"

"Well, you can talk to our professor. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to talk to you. We really need people on our side. It's not really enough to just have mutants, as we're all feared and untrusted, it seems. Do you have any contact information?"

Emily quickly pulled out a business card. "Here you go, Kurt. This sounds like such a great opportunity. I'm very glad I ran into you here. You have taught me a lot already."

Kurt responded, "Oh, no problem! It was very nice to meet you. You've taught me something, as well." Kurt was then interrupted by the tech calling him and Stark back. "Well, it was very nice talking with you. Perhaps I'll see you some other time."

"It was a pleasure." She then held out her hand once more to shake Kurt's. This time, Kurt wasn't nearly as hesitant. "Take care!" Kurt and Stark then headed back to the room.

* * *

A/N: Hello, everyone! Sorry it's been so long! Hopefully this longer chapter (honestly the longest chapter I've ever done for any story o_O) makes up for it! Hope people are still enjoying this story! Sorry for the long conversation, but I thought it was a nice idea to have him meet someone that didn't judge him or Stark. Not positive if she'll be returning in this story, but it's possible. Please review! :) And thank you for all of the reviews so far!


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